


No Good in Goodbye

by Panda365



Series: Tumblr Requests [6]
Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Arguments, Drama, Exes, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panda365/pseuds/Panda365
Summary: Bruce and Natasha break up after an argument over her ex. The meddling team try to force the couple to work it out.*Tumblr Request*
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov
Series: Tumblr Requests [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181882
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T for a little language, adult jokes, Tony being Tony.

"So you saw him, again, didn't you?!"

"I didn't- Bruce just sit down for a minute-. We both know you need to breathe before this escalates."

Banner snickers with tears in his eyes furious over Natasha's constant lies. More over the fact that she doesn't seem to care;

"We would have never gotten to this point if you would just admit to what you're doing!"

"Admit to what?! What do you think I'm doing?"

"Sneaking around to see your ex!"

She rolls her eyes, sitting on the edge of the sofa they've shared for the last few months;

"I'm not-."

"You are!"

"Bruce! You're accusing me of something you have no proof of! Do you even hear yourself!"

He nods, reaches into his pocket and throws her device onto the table. It's a hard enough toss to make a noise as the object connects with the table underneath. The second she sees the screen Natasha knows that she's been caught. She looks up;

"What of it."

He turns to circle the vicinity, "You disappear a lot. You go on assignments all over the world. I got nervous for you so I bugged your phone."

"Bruce! This is intrusive-."

"I wasn't expecting to find you sneaking off to meet with Alexei."

"This is simple obsessional. It's unethical."

"Don't! Talk to me about ethics. We agreed to try this, to try us. I've been solely yours Natasha, I committed to you-!"

"Ugh! You act like it's a crime for me to even see Alexei! How am I supposed to feel comfortable talking to you about this when you freak out every single time!"

"I'm trying not to!"

"You are!"

He paces, taking the tension and frustration out on his fingers so as not to punch a wall. This isn't the first time they've had this exact conversation but Bruce is ready for it to be the last;

"It's wrong when you sneak around to see him and hide it from me! Can you look at me? I'm not an idiot!"

Natasha takes in more than enough oxygen to fill her lungs until they're bursting, "I never said you were."

"Do you want me or not?"

"Oh, don't do this," Natasha retracts her emotions though her eyes widen.

"I asked you a question and I really need an answer. I deserve that much," He presses, pausing in his pacing to look into her hazel eyes.

She shakes her head, "You're overreacting-."

"You're not talking,' Bruce points on the verge of exploding, 'It's him or it's me."

"Don't you dare give me ultimatums."

"You can't have the both of us- I don't share."

Natasha stands in a huff, "So you think you own me now?! Is that what's going on?!"

"Stop!"

She cringes, “Shout a little louder, Stark can't hear you- oh that's right. He clearly knows our business anyways. I always wanted details of our personal relationship to reach the team."

"Natasha-!"

"You really need to calm down. Do you want to trigger Veronica?"

His voice breaks over her borderline threat, "Just, stop! You're setting me off! Stop."

"I'm setting you off?! Why are you so jealous?!"

"I'm not!"

"Then why does this bend you out of shape? Why are you so mad about me seeing Alexei! I'm not hurting anyone!"

His head tilts in a scrambling fury, hands waving excessively, "You don't see me wandering off to see Betty! Hiding an ex behind your back- come on-."

"You haven't seen her in years! It's a horrible example. Alexei isn't Betty," She grumbles.

Bruce holds his head, "You're not explaining otherwise! Why are you doing this?" Natasha stiffens immediately over this broken pitch and the tone of his voice. He pushes, "Do you love me?"

She swallows, her voice soft. His word choice throws her for a loop, "I-. Bruce…"

"What, Natasha," He tries one more time. She still can't make eye contact, biting at her lip rather than answering his question. Banner nods, stands a little straighter and takes a breath, "Okay. So I'm done."

"Bruce just stop-."

"I'm done, we're done, Natasha. You can't be honest with me- you can't even look at me," he whispers, with an eerie and sudden calm.

"Don't do this."

"What? Finally put a stop to your making a fool of me? Of us? Everyone sees it Natasha. You think you're sneaky...It's so obvious."

"You're imagining things."

"Am I?"

She watches him snatch up his jacket, molars tightening. She breathes faster with her own boiling rage;

"Fine, go! Run off, it's what you're best at."

Bruce huffs a defeated exhale, giving her one final parting glance and a heavy door slam behind him.


	2. Still in Love

Tony has been ignoring Banner's tense and frustrated demeanor all morning but enough is enough. After four hours of straight up avoidance he finally breaks the silence;

"Okay, are you going to fill me in with what’s going on with you?"

"Nothing is going on."

"You mixed up Uranium Dioxide with Uranyl on your report-."

"I'm fine-."

"Bullshit. Give me a multiple choice; is it the girl?"

"No," Bruce barely looks up from his desk, hiding behind the screens and his glasses.

"So it is Nat. What happened? She run off with Hercules again?"

"We broke up."

"Ouch...how long with this break last."

Bruce regrets chuckling through his pain, "It's not a 'break', Tony. We broke up. We're done."

"Oh,' Tony pauses only briefly, 'What Uh-."

"I don't want to talk about it," Bruce lifts a hand to rub the back of his neck.

"What do you need buddy? We could go bar hopping- get you so boozed up you forget your name."

"No thanks."

"Massage? Yoga class?! Pepper knows this instructor- she's pretty too- the instructor-!"

"No thanks."

"Wanna rage? I could strap on my metal and we let the green guy loose for a bit in the hulk proof gym?"

He mumbles behind a new screen on the opposite side of the lab, "I just want to work."

"We should really get drunk, that's when my best ideas come out. God; you're really shook up about this! You really loved the redhead didn't you-."

"Tony!" He clutches the desk, tightening a fist around the table over the word ‘love’. Yes. Of course he loves her...present tense. Did she love him? Obviously not enough. Not as much as Alexei. Not as much as whatever she’s doing with Alexei, Bruce resolves.

Stark mentally takes a step back and digs through his files "...mmkay. Don't bring up the spider-Got it."

When Bruce's phone rings the two men tense immediately. Seeing Natasha's name sets Banner off completely and he hurls his device into a nearby wall after listening to a voicemail. A fist hits the drywall next...the engineer is unsure of how to handle the situation so he tries his best to ignore.

The Iron Man has his phone go off next, Romanoff on the opposite end calling the team together for a mission as if everything is perfectly fine. Tony tries to explain;

"Fury sent an assignment. We gotta go-."

"I'm out."

"You can't avoid her forever."

"If the hulk shows up right now it won't be pretty-sorry. Can't risk it."

"-You just threw a temper tantrum in my lab. That's a minimum four hour timeout. Go to your room- and no screens!"

"I'll fix the hole in the wall just give me a minute," Bruce drops his file on his way to the door with his tearful mumble and his thoughts on Natasha. He keeps his chin tucked completely to hide from Tony.

* * *

Romanoff's first question when Tony arrives for the mission has to do with Banner;

"Where is Bruce?"

Stark retorts in his suit, "He's grounded."

The Black Widow isn't impressed, lecturing Tony about his friend's reckless inconsideration for the mission and for the team as if Stark is the physicist's caretaker. The remarks and comments from Natasha set off Clint as they battle together;

"You sound angry, Nat."

"I'm fine. Steve, are you awake? Focus on those aliens," she dodges and deflects.

"Yeah yeah," Rogers hurls his shield.

Barton watches while Romanoff does her thing, calling his best friend out on her excessive rage and the way she's shredding anything and everything.

She just stares at him in reply, signaling for Barton to move out once Steve makes the call that they're all good to go.

The Black Widow heads directly for their transport, leaving the other four heroes out on the field. Thor has no idea what is happening but decides to crash the conversation that Rogers inadvertently opens up;

"Natasha was a little sloppy today. We gotta do something. What's going on?"

Tony laughs from behind his scrapes up helmet, clanking against the cement, "For once I agree with grandpa. She broke up with her boyfriend."

"She's that distracted about it?!"

"I would be,' Thor offers humbly, 'I would not be able to process nor fight with a clear mind if I were feuding. One time father locked Loki and I in a small box until we could resolve an issue we had with one another."

"What was the issue? I have a few with your brother," Clint asks with a suppressed smile underneath his expression.

"It is far too painful to discuss."

The archer shrugs and readdresses the rest of the team, "I have a shed."

Steve squints with a half grin, "You want to lock Agent Romanoff and Dr. Banner in a shed?"

Thor nods, "It is a fine suggestion! They would be forced to address and resolve their problems, and rejoin the fight once more."

Tony seems to agree with their ideas, "I'm in. Or there's a party on Sunday I'm hosting-."

"We can't wait until Sunday. I don't think this is the last we're going to see of our red alien friends. They need to work out their issues now and get back on the field; we need the hulk," Steve changes which arm is holding the shield and pushes his friends along.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! I have an idea...just play along."


	3. Better Off A Quitter

Tony is caught in his lie the same time as Clint.

Natasha and Bruce immediately turn to their devices, eager to complain to their counterparts about the 'trap.' The two adults at their fancy dinner are behaving more like children when they barely acknowledge the other's existence.

Natasha steps forward regardless, wearing her heels and an elegant gown. Banner's head is down in his phone to text and call Tony and explode. He looks up only once the phone is attached to his ear, dressed in a classy black button down. Romanoff texts Clint with a suspicious glare;

"What did Tony tell you this was?"

"So they're tag teaming now? He called it a Business meeting. I doubt you're the client?"

She sits briefly at the table, dialing Barton in the quiet restaurant, "I'm here for a mission. Unless there's another table 14 in the back?"

"Damn you, Tony." 

Natasha forces a grin despite her rage, phone against her ear. 

Bruce mumbles, "This is awkward."

She sighs, "Beyond awkward."

The physicist stands first, takes his coat and disappears out the back exit while Natasha snatches up her shawl and heads for the front.

The next time the couple are left alone and forced to interact happens back at the tower for "movie night."

"Clint sent you?" Bruce asks from the table.

She nods and points, "You got the invite from Tony?"

"Naturally."

When no one else shows up Bruce leaves the living room exiting to the left and Natasha to the right.

Romanoff has a meeting for 'coffee' with the following day. When Bruce walks through the door Natasha tucks her head, replacing her sunglasses and sneaks out the door behind him, dialing the archer only to be sent directly to a voicemail;

"I demand an explanation, Barton! Before I show up at your apartment and split your skull! Call me back!"

* * *

"At this point, we could have just waited until the party tomorrow," Tony gloats a week later.

Clint tosses and catches a ball, laying on the sofa, "Nat's onto me so I can't play along anymore you guys."

"I do believe locking them in a small space would remain the best solution," Thor offers.

Steve has his arms crossed, "Go for it. I'm tired of tackling these missions with the two of them sulking in opposite corners. We're lifting double the weight trying to make up for the sporadic absence."

"Forget the absences! Who else thought hulk was ready to shred the jet yesterday?!" Clint raises his own hand, eager to take a count.

"I'm not scared of my green friend I'm scared of the redhead. I swear she is going to kill me in my sleep,' Tony takes charge of their spontaneous meeting, standing in the center of the room, 'Maybe Braveheart is right, what if we lock them in the utility closet?"

"We've been far too obvious in these entrapments. I believe a part of the solution is to be less so," Thor offers.

"Deception. Huh, sounds like your brother," Clint tosses his ball into the air without looking.

"Judge me not, arrow man."

Tony covers Thor's mouth when they hear Natasha calling in the hall for Clint. When Stark hears Banner's mumble next he shushes the team;

"Nobody talk! Nobody say a word!"

They quietly hide in their den of the tower, trying not to budge and scramble noisily watching through the cracked open door.

Bruce has his glasses on with a tablet in hand, Natasha with her jogging jacket over her arm while they make mindless small talk over the tower's power glitching. In their defense it's the most civil they've been with each other since the breakup.

He's giving her glances whenever she looks off, returning the favor when he's not paying attention. The conversation is muffled from behind the door and the team can only pick up bits and pieces, Thor narrating from the lowest crouching point against the door. He whispers;

"Banner is laughing."

"Shush," Tony scolds.

"The spy is smiling."

"Stop narrating!"

"It got quiet, why did it get quiet? Did she kill him?" Steve asks, pushed to the back of the mob.

"Everyone needs to shut up, seriously! I can't hear a thing," Tony snaps with his whisper.

Natasha is turning to leave, gnawing at her cheek with a key in her hand, "Bruce?"

He lifts his head without moving his eyes, "Hmm?"

"I can't seem to find one of my jackets, I was just…it would be great if you found it. I might've left it at your place."

"The black one? Or the green one..."

"The green one."

He nods with a reminiscent grin. He's not a fan of the color green but he always liked that particular jacket on her. He instantly recalls the last time she wore it no matter how many months ago that was and he knows it's one of two places. They've shared her space for months but his apartment wasn't necessarily empty.

His smile disappears once she returns it, clearing his throat he turns back to the tablet, "I'll look."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

She wants to keep talking, closing her mouth and nodding before heading to the door. Unlike the typical scenario, Bruce never calls out to her, completely back to ignoring her. Natasha gives him a backwards glance with a thought for how she misses his warm hold, his sweet kisses, his kind voice. She shakes her head and heads out for her run.

He gives the back of her head one more look, heart aching for her affection, her smile, her touch. Bruce suppresses his frustratingly stubborn emotions and turns to head back up to his lab.


	4. Locked In A Box

Tony's party goes how most of them do; with too many people showing up, too many drinks, and loud noises Stark calls music.

Thor is indulging some of Tony's friends with his own hammer party tricks, introducing Mjolnir and telling stories of Asgard.

Clint is hiding somewhere in the vents- the team only knows because someone found Natasha not so discreetly having an argument with the ceiling. He's calling her out on her stubborn bullshit and she's snapping back to blame Bruce for most of it.

Barton knows Romanoff best at the tower and so when she's anything less than the top spy he knows something is wrong, Clint feels a need to step in as he's done for the past week.

Bruce is choosing to drink alone no matter how many times Tony walks by to poke at him and invite his science bro into another corner for party games.

Steve is currently following Tony around, mad about Stark using his shield as a serving tray. Bruce laughs briefly over the sight, watching the two men go at it like an old married couple. Looking at a fued from the outside makes him think of Natasha, sipping his drink before turning to find her back in the hall and talking with the ceiling.

She looks so mad and the little Bruce can overhear despite the chaos in the lobby; she's using Russian words, her eyes wide and passionate. 

He might give up an arm just to talk to her again…

Bruce chugs his drink and works up the nerve to 'check in'. He misses her company after all. Maybe he's been petty and obnoxious about the whole ex husband thing after all.

He leaves his glass, checks his pockets and steps for the hall. His feet refuse to move when he sees a man walk over from the opposite side, immediately embracing Natasha. Banner watches from a distance, his heart in his throat and his head throbbing over their closeness and the contact. This presumed Alexei pecks her cheek next. Her smile is the last straw, his jealousy at a boil. It's a new shade of green Bruce didn't even realize he possessed.

'You don't own me…' Bruce holds his head over the recollection. Natasha would surely kill him if he dared to get too close. 

Pissing her off isn't his intention; but he knows enough about Alexei to know this man isn't all Natasha acts like he is.

Better than Bruce? Banner scoffs over the question in his mind...not a chance…

He rubs at his cheek, debating on his next action. He lets it go.

Natasha catches his eye with hers, mouth opening slightly with a breath. Alexei's hand rubs down her arm and latches onto her hand.

She swallows hard and forces a smile. Her eyes refuse to move from his as if she's trying to capture his attention. There's a familiar spark underneath her features and she seems to relax into herself only after seeing Bruce.

Her smile is suddenly far more subtle- more genuine coming from the spy than some toothy expression she just gave Alexei.

The physicist swears under his breath and hits at his own leg, forcing himself back into motion and steps over to Romanoff with a greeting.

Seeing Alexei in person makes it harder to try and forgive - no matter how much Natasha insisted he was imagining things between the two of them. There's still a clear spark, at least on Alexei's side.

Alexei seems nice enough, offering to shake a hand with Banner. He offers Natasha a drink next and she accepts, playing some game the scientist is uninterested in participating in so he nods and goes his own way.

Natasha eyes Bruce throughout the night. For someone who so adamantly wants to remain uninvolved, he stays awful close to her. She can't stop giving him glances and each time she does, Bruce is looking back at her.

Feuding suddenly seems so dumb. Breaking up might've been a mistake. She's here with her ex, with 50 men surrounding her and she only has eyes for one of them.

Natasha pours herself a second drink and chugs it, trying to work up the nerve to make up her mind and put her pride aside.

A few hours later and she's sitting on the sofa with Alexei. Her factitious smile is gone and she's visibly tired of him following her around. Alexei might've been back in New York for work and yes, she did miss him. But after a month of having him back in her life she remembers why she left him in the first place. Aside from work they have almost nothing in common and she's steadily losing her patience.

When Alexei starts to drunkenly whisper in her ear she shifts uncomfortably. Bruce watches from a distance at first, aware of her discomfort as if she's sent out some non verbal signal.

He steps closer when it happens again, watching when Alexei lays a hand on her knee.

Banner mumbles when he's brave enough to talk, "I hate to interrupt and stick my nose where it doesn't belong but I can tell that you're making Natasha uncomfortable."

Romanoff glares immediately, she never asked for a hero. She doesn't want his help- she doesn't need it. The master assassin could easily hurl Alexei through the window.

Her ex husband laughs in Bruce's face, clearly intoxicated, "Oh piss off nerd."

Banner clenches a fist and throws it into Alexei's cheek. Natasha sighs with a loud groan, standing with a huff to get involved herself. She elbows Alexei when he goes to punch Bruce back and grips at Banner's shoulder to twist his arm behind his back;

"Ow, ow, ow- Nat!”

She cringes through her teeth and snaps toward Alexei in her mother tongue. They retort with each other back and forth for a bit. Based on Alexei's reactions and the way he storms off, it doesn't end well.

Natasha drags Bruce into a nearby closet next, turning on the light above his head with an intent stare after forcibly freeing him from her solid grip. The heat from the lightbulb makes it feel like an interrogation;

"What the hell?"

Bruce tilts his head, defeated and rolling his sore shoulder, “You weren't happy with what he was doing-!"

"None of your business. I'm not yours anymore. We broke up - remember?!"

He sighs sarcastically, "No, I wasn't there."

"Bruce-!"

"Natasha! Wait! Before you start yelling, just please let me talk. Two minutes."

She crosses her arms, "I'm listening."

He takes a breath, trying to keep eye contact, "I can't take back anything that went on between us. I get that. But...we tried to end things. Maybe you feel differently, but I can't function. It's more than breakup blues or some broken heart, I can't breathe without you. And that's dumb, and obnoxious- and there's, shit we need to work through starting with...him. But I need to hear from you. I made mistakes with how I handled things and I'm sorry-."

"Stop. Just, stop." 

He lifts his hands in a surrender, still tense and agitated. She takes a breath and tugs at her hair;

"You're acting jealous and immature ever since Alexei showed up."

He accepts her lecture whether or not he thinks she's right, "I know but-."

"Just wait, I'm not finished,' she crosses her arms, 'If you want me back? I assume this is where your apology is coming from-?"

"Nat, you were right. I don't own you. I never wanted to make you feel that way. And! You can fight for yourself I get that! But you shouldn't have to."

"I know,' she sighs and holds her head with a huff, 'I think...I wanted that? It's odd and warped, it makes no sense. But I don't know how to do this. How to have a relationship. I wanted your attention, I wanted you to fight for me. I did it all wrong...I never wanted you to leave."

He nods, hands dropping to his sides, "We both, made, some choices."

"Poor choices."

"I'm sorry. I'll work on my temper,” the irony isn’t lost on either of them.

"I'm sorry too."

He shrugs, turning briefly in the tight closet space, "...This is bad timing and not how I imagined apologizing but I miss you."

The corner of her mouth twitches up just a hair, "I suppose, I miss you too."

The couple twitch over the pop and the doorknob turning, Tony pokes his head through the door;

"Hey! Get a room! The closet isn't up for grabs,' he retracts immediately once he sees the couple inside, 'Nevermind! Grab away!"

"Grab what?! Tony!," Steve shouts and Tony slams the door shut protectively.

Natasha scoffs, Bruce holds his head and cringes, a hand over his mouth. Romanoff tilts her head with an offer;

"We could go upstairs. Get away from all of this noise and...talk for real. Without the peanut gallery."

He nods, "Yeah I'd like that."

She freezes with a hand on the doorknob, jiggling the now locked door, “Oh you have got to be kidding me.”

Bruce asks to try, tugging at the knob, “Well that’s fun.”

Natasha pounds her palm agains the door, “Tony?! I swear! If this was your idea! You are all so dead when I get out of here!”

**Author's Note:**

> I take requests! Drop me a message at GammaCousin on Tumblr.  
> If you have sent a request, keep an eye out! It’s in the works! :)


End file.
